CLIMATE OF TURKEY
Turkey's
diverse
regions have different climates, with the weather system
on the coasts contrasting with that prevailing in the
interior. The
Aegean and
Mediterranean coasts have cool, rainy winters and hot,
moderately dry summers. Annual precipitation in those areas
varies from 580 to 1,300 millimeters, depending on location.
Generally, rainfall is less to the east. The
Black Sea coast receives the greatest amount of
rainfall. The eastern part of that coast averages 1,400
millimeters annually and is the only
region
of Turkey
that receives rainfall throughout the year.
Mountains
close to the coast prevent Mediterranean influences from
extending inland, giving the interior of
Turkey
a continental climate with distinct seasons. The
Anatolian Plateau is much more subject to extremes than
are the coastal areas. Winters on the plateau are especially
severe. Temperatures of -30°C to -40°C can occur in the
mountainous areas in the east, and snow may lie on the
ground 120 days of the year. In the west, winter
temperatures average below 1°C. Summers are hot and dry,
with temperatures above 30°C. Annual precipitation averages
about 400 millimeters, with actual amounts determined by
elevation. The driest
regions
are the
Konya Plateu and the
Malatya
Plateu, where annual rainfall frequently is less than 300
millimeters. May is generally the wettest month and July and
August the driest.
The climate
of the Anti-Taurus Mountain region of
eastern Turkey can be inhospitable. Summers tend to be
hot and extremely dry. Winters are bitterly cold with
frequent, heavy snowfall. Villages can be isolated for
several days during winter storms. Spring and autumn are
generally mild, but during both seasons sudden hot and cold
spells frequently occur.
Because of
Turkey's geographical conditions, one can not speak
about a general overall climate. In
Istanbul and around the sea of
Marmara the climate is moderate (winter 4 deg.C and
summer 27 deg.C); in winter the temperature can drop below
zero. In Western
Anatolia there is a mild Mediterranean climate with
average temperatures of 9 deg.C in winter and 29 deg.C in
summer. On the southern coast of
Anatolia the same climate can be found. The climate of
the
Anatolian Plateau is a steppe climate (there is a great
temperature difference between day and night). Rainfall is
low and there is more snow. The average temperature is 23
deg.C in summer and -2 deg.C in winter. The climate in the
Black Sea area is wet, warm and humid (summer 23 deg.C,
winter 7 deg.C). In
Eastern Anatolia and
South-Eastern Anatolia there is a long hard winter,
where year after year snow lies on the ground from November
until the end of April (the average temperature in winter is
-13 deg.C and in summer 17 deg.C). |
